Page 22 - eMuse Vol.9 No.04_Classical

The Last Goodbye
by Barry Desailly
The old man moves with a shuffling gait
As he wanders down to the shed;
His face portrays his aching bones
But no complaint is said .
The years have cast their shadows long;
The end, he knows, is neigh,
But ere the sinking sun shall fade,
He seeks one last “Goodbye.”
Just one more glance at treasured ware —
Old relics of the past,
With sad and heavy heart he knows
This glimpse will be his last.
All useless junk, may well be said,
Outdated, worn and old,
ut deep within this bushman’s heart
Its worth holds more than gold.
A stockwhip hangs from a lancewood rail,
‘Twas pride of the old man’s eye,
No more will it ring as he rides the wing
No more will its fall he ply.
And the spurs that hang beside it
With their bent and batter rowels,
Drew sweat and blood from foaming flanks
Well cast in long lost moulds .
A bridle hanging on the wall,
The gamest head has braced,
Has seen a hundred musters
And a thousand scrubbers chased .
How oft’ he held those redhide reins
With hands so sure and light,
As he rode to steady the maddened mobs
As they rushed on through the night .
Fond memories bold those saddles hold
Decaying on the racks,
But ne’er again the’ll carry him
Down dry and dusty tracks.
Their flaps are worn and weathered now,
The kneepads cracked and dry;
Old scars they bear of toil and wear
Attest to days gone by.
There flow no soft rendition
From the row of Condmines,
Their tongues lie still and silent now,
They chime no ring nor rhymes.
The song they sing is a mute refrain;
As they line the old shed wall,
They’ve played their final chorus,
They’ve pealed their last long call.
There’s a wagonette still standing
Close by the old shed door:
The harness worn and perished now,
The collars shedding straw.
Forlornly draped across its pol
Hang pairs of rusted hames,
Old breeching straps and swingle bars
And broken driving reins.
By a forge and battered anvil lie
Old shoes and station brands,
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Well fashioned in a charcoal flame
By gnarled and calloused hands .
And, to tell of many musters past,
Of long and lonely rides;
A quartpot and a saddle bag, a swag and ‘lastic sides.
Hobble chains and greenhide ropes,
Old halters and a pack
Rekindle flames of yesteryear,
Of times along the track.
And for one fleeting moment
How he pines those days back then,
But hands of time have etched their toll
O’er four score years and ten.
The campfire coals have shed their glow
And distant memories fade,
As Chattles of a bygone day
On last faewell are bade.
The old man sadly turns away,
A tear wells in his eye;
This is the end of life’s long road,
This is his last “Goodbye”.
© Barry Desailly, Townsville Q
CARING HANDS
The legendary rapport between the Australian Light Horse-
men and their horse is superbly capturds in this fine figurine.
As the Military Shop says in their advertisement: Through-
out the Great War the 1st AIF relied heavily on horsepower
to function. Duties of the horses ranged from transporting
supplies, communications, artillery and of course – The Light
Horse. The welfare of these mounts was paramount to the
success of any operation and indeed the smooth running of the
entire corps. The ability of the horses to carry their out tasks
was of utmost importance and as such their condition was
closely monitored, this caring hands figurines pays tribute to
both man and beast and the relationship they had serving one
another.
The 23cm high x 28.5cm long x 15.5cm deep version is
available forRRP $129.00. If you’re interested contact
The Military Shop
Phone: (02) 6123 2950
Email: sales@militaryshop.com.au
Showroom: 65 Kembla Street
Fyshwick
ACT, Australia
eMuse April 2020